diff --git a/src/Main/LanguageStrings.cpp b/src/Main/LanguageStrings.cpp
index 9dbdf211..d5564a54 100644
--- a/src/Main/LanguageStrings.cpp
+++ b/src/Main/LanguageStrings.cpp
@@ -57,14 +57,30 @@ namespace VeraCrypt
 		}
 
 		string translatedXml = Resources::GetLanguageXml(PreferredLang);
-		foreach (XmlNode node, XmlParser (translatedXml).GetNodes (L"entry"))
+		XmlNodeList translatedEntries, languageNodes;
+		try
+		{
+			translatedEntries = XmlParser (translatedXml).GetNodes (L"entry");
+			languageNodes = XmlParser (translatedXml).GetNodes (L"language");
+		}
+		catch (ParameterIncorrect&) { }
+
+		// Keep the built-in strings if the language file is empty, malformed or has no language element
+		if (languageNodes.empty())
+		{
+			translatedEntries.clear();
+			languageNodes = XmlParser (def).GetNodes (L"language");
+			PreferredLang = "en";
+		}
+
+		foreach (XmlNode node, translatedEntries)
 		{
 			wxString text = node.InnerText;
 			text.Replace (L"\\n", L"\n");
 			Map[StringConverter::ToSingle (wstring (node.Attributes[L"key"]))] = text;
 		}
 
-		XmlNode node = XmlParser (translatedXml).GetNodes (L"language").front();
+		XmlNode node = languageNodes.front();
 		Map["LANGUAGE_TRANSLATORS"] = wxString (node.Attributes[L"translators"]);
 		Map["CURRENT_LANGUAGE_PACK"] = wxString (node.Attributes[L"name"]);
 	}
diff --git a/src/Main/Resources.cpp b/src/Main/Resources.cpp
index bc7ab7e3..b5a79017 100644
--- a/src/Main/Resources.cpp
+++ b/src/Main/Resources.cpp
@@ -149,14 +149,24 @@ namespace VeraCrypt
 		}
 		FilesystemPath xml(filename);
 		if ( xml.IsFile() ){
-			File file;
-			file.Open (xml, File::OpenRead, File::ShareRead);
-			vector <uint8> keyfileData (file.Length());
-			BufferPtr keyfileDataBuf (&keyfileData.front(), keyfileData.size());
-			file.ReadCompleteBuffer (keyfileDataBuf);
-			file.Close();
-			string langxml(keyfileData.begin(), keyfileData.end());
-			return langxml;
+			try
+			{
+				File file;
+				file.Open (xml, File::OpenRead, File::ShareRead);
+				vector <uint8> keyfileData (file.Length());
+				if (!keyfileData.empty())
+				{
+					BufferPtr keyfileDataBuf (&keyfileData.front(), keyfileData.size());
+					file.ReadCompleteBuffer (keyfileDataBuf);
+				}
+				file.Close();
+				string langxml(keyfileData.begin(), keyfileData.end());
+				return langxml;
+			}
+			// An optional translation must not prevent startup if it cannot be
+			// opened or read completely (for example, if it shrinks while reading).
+			catch (SystemException&) { }
+			catch (InsufficientData&) { }
 		}
 		static uint8 LanguageXml[] =
 		{